2026 City Nature Challenge
The 2026 City Nature Challenge results are here!
That’s a wrap on City Nature Challenge 2026! Your efforts to document local biodiversity have yielded incredibly impressive results!
City Nature Challenge 2026 Global Results:
- Total # of species documented: 76,422+
- Total # of observers: 106,354
- Total # of identifiers: 27,641+
- Total # of observations: 3,001,825
- Rare, Endangered, or Threatened species: 5688+
- Most Observed Plant: Common Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale
- Most Observed Animal: Mallard, Ana platyrhynchos
- Number of participating countries: 61
- Number of participating cities: 754
- Percentage of research grade observations: 40%
Thank you to each and every one of you who organized and facilitated local events, made observations and identifications, spread the word, and shared the biodiversity of the places you call home with the rest of the world. The City Nature Challenge would not be possible without all of our amazing local organizers! Thank you all!
It has been so rewarding to see the amazing observations made by community scientists across 6 continents and 61 countries. Here is a link to the results workbook. These are the project numbers pulled on May 10th. Check out some interesting and fun finds from around the world!
Mark Your Calendars for the 2027 City Nature Challenge
April 30 to May 3, 2027
The City Nature Challenge is an international effort to document nature in cities. The global event calls on current and aspiring community scientists, nature and science fans, and people of all ages and backgrounds to get outside and observe and submit pictures of wild plants, animals, and fungi during the Challenge dates in order to help scientists track real-time changes in our planet’s biodiversity and better understand wildlife conservation.
How to Participate
Download the iNaturalist app from the App Store or Google Play.
Step 1: Find wildlife anywhere in L.A. County (or your local area).
Step 2: Take photos of WILD** plants & animals.
Step 3: Share Your observations in the iNaturalist app.
Step 4: Learn more as your finds get identified.
**Wild means it was not put there or cared for by humans, so pets, zoo animals, potted plants, and city trees do not count for the City Nature Challenge.E
iNaturalist How-To Videos
Adding an Observation on a Mobile Device
Adding an Observation via the Web
How to Take Identifiable Photos
The City Nature Challenge is brought to you by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and California Academy of Sciences. Generous support provided by Metabolic Studio.
Organized By
Partners include the following:
